• Water Engineering Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2002

The effect of diurnal cycle, intermittent visit of observation satellite, sensor installation, partial coverage of remote sensing, heterogeneity of soil properties and precipitation to the soil moisture estimation error were analyzed to present the global sampling strategy of soil moisture. Three models, the theoretical soil moisture model, WGR model proposed Waymire of at. (1984) to generate rainfall, and Turning Band Method to generate two dimensional soil porosity, active soil depth and loss coefficient field were used to construct sufficient two-dimensional soil moisture data based on different scenarios. The sampling error is dominated by sampling interval and design scheme. The effect of heterogeneity of soil properties and rainfall to sampling error is smaller than that of temporal gap and spatial gap. Selecting a small sampling interval can dramatically reduce the sampling error generated by other factors such as heterogeneity of rainfall, soil properties, topography, and climatic conditions. If the annual mean of coverage portion is about 90%, the effect of partial coverage to sampling error can be disregarded. The water retention capacity of fields is very important in the sampling error. The smaller the water retention capacity of the field (small soil porosity and thin active soil depth), the greater the sampling error. These results indicate that the sampling error is very sensitive to water retention capacity. Block random installation gets more accurate data than random installation of soil moisture gages. The Walnut Gulch soil moisture data show that the diurnal variation of soil moisture causes sampling error between 1 and 4 % in daily estimation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.94-101
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• 2013

It is well known that uncertainty associated with soil sampling is bigger than that with analysis. In this research, uncertainties for soil sampling when assessing TPH and BTEX concentration in soils were quantified based on actual field data. It is almost impossible to assess exact contamination of the site regardless how carefully devised for sampling. Uncertainties associated with sample reduction for further chemical analysis were quantified approximately 10 times larger than those associated with core sampling on site. Bigger uncertainties occur when contamination level is low, sample quantity is small, and soil particle is coarse. To minimize the uncertainties on field, homogenization of soil sample is necessary and its procedures are proposed in this research as well.

• Water Engineering Research
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.209-222
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• 2000

A spectral formalism was applied to quantify the sampling errors due to spatial and/or temporal gaps in soil moisture measurements. The lack of temporal measurements of the two-dimensional soil moisture field makes it difficult to compute the spectra directly from observed records. Therefore, the space-time soil moisture spectra derived by stochastic models of rainfall and soil moisture was used in their record. Parameters for both models were tuned with Southern Great Plains Hydrology Experiment(SGP'97) data and the Oklahoma Mesonet data. The structure of soil moisture data is discrete in space and time. A design filter was developed to compute the sampling errors for discrete measurements in space and time. This filter has the advantage in its general form applicable for all kinds of sampling designs. Sampling errors of the soil moisture estimation during the SGP'97 Hydrology Experiment period were estimated. The sampling errors for various sampling designs such as satedlite over pass and point measurement ground probe were estimated under the climate condition between June and August 1997 and soil properties of the SGP'97 experimental area. The ground truth design was evaluated to 25km and 50km spatial gap and the temporal gap from zero to 5 days.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 1998

This paper presents soil-gas surveying technique to delineate an area contaminated with volatile organic compounds, which are common solvents and constituents of gasoline. The sampling method of soil-gas surveying is 1) grab sampling, which actively takes sample using a pump, or 2) passive sampling, which takes sample through diffusion in a trap filled with absorbent. The grab sampling shows the level of contamination at a certain location at a certain time, while the passive sampling shows the change in the contamination at a certain location. The analysis of soil gas can be performed with 1) a small portable detectors such as PID (photoionization detector) or FID (flame-ionization detector) to measure the total hydrocarbon in the soil gas, 2) a gas detector tube, which is filled with indicator reagents and changes its color with concentrations of the gas of interest, or 3) a portable GC (gas chromatograph), which can analyze different compounds simultaneously. The soil-gas surveying technique is a much less expensive method to investigate area contaminated volatile organic compounds and thus can be used as a screening tool to identify an area, which needs to be further investigated.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1-9
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• 2011

A bibliographical review of Gy sampling theory for particulate materials was conducted to provide readers with useful means to reduce errors in soil contamination investigation. According to the Gy theory, the errors caused by the heterogeneous nature of soil include; the fundamental error (FE) caused by physical and chemical constitutional heterogeneity, the grouping and segregation error (GE) aroused from gravitational force, long-range heterogeneous fluctuation error ($CE_2$), the periodic heterogeneity fluctuation error ($CE_3$), and the materialization error (ME) generated during physical process of sample treatment. However, the accurate estimation of $CE_2$ and $CE_3$ cannot be estimated easily and only increasing sampling locations can reduce the magnitude of the errors. In addition, incremental sampling is the only method to reduce GE while grab sampling should be avoided as it introduces uncertainty and errors to the sampling process. Correct preparation and operation of sampling tools are important factors in reducing the incremental delimitation error (DE) and extraction error (EE) which are resulted from physical processes in the sampling. Therefore, Gy sampling theory can be used efficiently in planning a strategy for soil investigations of non-volatile and non-reactive samples.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.743-755
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• 2015

It is well known that the quality of sample significantly determines the accuracy of soil parameters for laboratory testing. Although sampling disturbance has been studied over the last few decades, the theoretical investigation of soil disturbance due to sampling penetration has been rarely reported. In this paper, an analytical solution for estimating the soil disturbance due to sampling penetration was presented using cavity expansion method. Analytical results in several cases reveal that the soil at different location along the sample centerline experiences distinct phases of strain during the process of sampling penetration. The magnitude of induced strain is dependent on the position of the soil element within the sampler and the sampler geometry expressed as diameter-thickness ratio D/t and length-diameter ratio L/D. Effects of sampler features on soil disturbance were also studied. It is found that the induced maximum strain decreases exponentially with increasing diameter-thickness ratio, indicating that the sampling disturbance will reduce with increasing diameter or decreasing wall thickness of sampler. It is also found that a large length-diameter ratio does not necessarily reduce the disturbance. An optimal length-diameter ratio is suggested for the further design of improved sampler in this study.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 1996

Observational date is integral in our understanding of present climate, its natural variability and any cnange roue to anturopogenic effects. This study incorporates a brief overview of sampling requirements using data from the first ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) in 1987, which was a multi-disciplinary field experiment over a 15km grid in Konza Prairie, USA. Sampling strategies were designed for precipitation and soil moisture measurements and also detecting land cover type. It was concludes that up to 8 raingages would be needed for valuable precipitation measurements covering the whole FIFE catchment, but only one soil moisture station. Results show that as new gages or station are added to the catchment then the sampling error is reduced, but the Improvement in error performance is less as the number of gages or stations increases. Sampling from remoteiy sensed instruments shows different results. It can be seen that the sampling error at 1arger resolution sizes are small due to competing error contribution from both commission and omission error.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.399-404
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• 2014

Soil moisture is an important factor for the availability and circulation of nutrients in arable soil. The purpose of this study was to set thresholds moisture content on soil nitrate concentration in the solution for real-time diagnosis. Sandy loam, silt loam, and sandy loam was filled with $1.2g\;cm^{-3}$ at Wagner pots, 0, 100, and $200mg\;L^{-1}$ of $KNO_3$ was saturated. Nitrate in standard solution was recovered about 95% by passing the porous cup. Nitrate concentrations in sampling of soil solution were examined by using a porous cup. The soil solution was higher in accordance with sandy loam> silt loam> clay loam, limited water filled pore space for sampling soil solution was 33.7, 56.4, and 62.2%, respectively. Nitrate concentration in the soil solution was negligible at sandy loam and silt loam during sampling periods, which was decreased about 50~82% in clay loam compared to the initial $NO_3$-N concentration in the saturated $KNO_3$ solution. Over limitation of soil solution sampling, soil EC and $NO_3$-N content were increased with the saturated $NO_3$-N concentration, regardless of soil texture (p<0.05). Conclusively, soil solution by using a porous cup was possible, regardless of the soil texture, which was useful for the diagnosis in nitrate concentration of soil solution. However, because nitrate concentration of soil solution in a clay loam changes, it was necessary for careful attention in order to take advantage for the real-time diagnosis of nitrogen management in soil.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.329-337
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• 1997

Study of population density and biomass of soil microarthropods in soil, herbaceous leaf litter and wood leaf litter was conducted at 4 sites with different flora in Mt. Jumbong, a nature reserve area, in Korea from Aug. 1994 to May 1996. Total 47, 849 individuals of soil microarthropods in soil were collected and identified into 6 different classes, and 16 orders. The composition, densities, and dominant group of soil microarthropods were different among 4 sampling sites. Collembola was the most abundant group with 50.7% at South-facing slope and 50.6% at the North-facing slope. But Acari was the most abundant group with 49.8% at Altitude 900m site and 47.7% at Altitude 1100m site. Two group ranged 87-95% of total individuals. A/C ratio was less than 1.0 at 4 sampling sites during the all sampling seasons. As a result of biomass evaluation, rato of Acari was decreased but ratio of Diplopoda, coleoptera, Araneae, Diptera and Chilopoda was increased. About 70% of total orders and densities were found in less than 5cm soil depth. The composition, densities, and dominant group of soil microarthropods were different among soil, herbaceous litter and wood litter. Collembola was the most abundant group in herbaceous and wood litter. A/C ratio was less than 1.0 in litter during the sampling seasons. As a result of biomass evaluation in litter, ration of Araneae and Collembola was very high, but ratio of Acari was low.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2009

Soil $CO_2$ efflux can vary markedly in magnitude over both time and space, and understanding this variation is crucial for the correct measurement of $CO_2$ efflux in ecological studies. Although considerable research has quantified temporal variability in this flux, comparatively little effort has focused on its spatial variability. To account for spatial heterogeneity, we must be able to determine the number of sampling points required to adequately estimate soil $CO_2$ efflux in a target ecosystem. In this paper, we report the results of a study of the number of sampling points required for estimating soil $CO_2$ efflux using a closed-dynamic chamber in young and old Japanese cedar plantations in central Japan. The spatial heterogeneity in soil $CO_2$ efflux was significantly higher in the mature plantation than in the young stand. In the young plantation, 95% of samples of 9 randomly-chosen flux measurements from a population of 16 measurements made using 72-$cm^2$ chambers produced flux estimates within 20% of the full-population mean. In the mature plantation, 20 sampling points are required to achieve means within $\pm$ 20% of the full-population mean (15 measurements) for 95% of the sample dates. Variation in soil temperature and moisture could not explain the observed spatial variation in soil $CO_2$ efflux, even though both parameters are a good predictor of temporal variation in $CO_2$ efflux. Our results and those of previous studies suggest that, on average, approximately 46 sampling points are required to estimate the mean and variance of soil $CO_2$ flux in temperate and boreal forests to a precision of $\pm$ 10% at the 95% confidence level, and 12 points are required to achieve a precision of $\pm$ 20%.